Fluid-meter.



J. w. LEDOUX.

FLUID METER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4, 1916.

1,243,420 Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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FLUID METER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4. 1.9]6;

Patent-ed 001;. 23, 1917. f

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN W. LEDOUX, 0F SWARTH'MORFI, FENNS YLVANIA.

FLUID-METER;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0a; 23, 1917.

Application area February 4, 1916. Serial Ng 76,095.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. Lnooux, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Swarthmore, in the county of Delaware and sired functions of the head, as ,the head or flow of a fluid. This result has been obtained heretofore through mechanisms that are objectionable because complex, costly or ineflicient.

The present invention provides improved means of simple, inexpensive, accurate and eflicientcharacter adapted for directly indicating ,,heads and translating the forces,

due to changes in the pressure or head of a flowing fluid into a movement which is in direct proportion to changes in the velocity of the fluid to be measured. t

The nature and advantages of my improvements will be fully understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in illustration thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a part sec tional elevation of mechanism embodying a form of my improvements; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a part sectional plan view of mechanism shown inFig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of detached mechanism embodied in the construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5

represents a second position of the construction shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a part sectional elevation of details used in connectingmy improvements with a conduit comprlsmg a weir. p p v The mechanism, in the formselected for illustration by Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, come prises a conduit 1 having its parts 1 and 1", of different cross sectional areas, connected by the ducts 2 and 3 with the respective chambers 4 and 4 which are separated by a diaphragm 4 in a casing 4, the diaphragm having the function of transmitting the" resultant or differential of the pressures communicated through the ducts.

A bearing 5 and a bearing 6, having a knife edge 6*, are fixed to the case and diaphragm respectively, within the chamber 4. .A shaft 7 is journaled in a bearing 6 of the case, has an end bearing against the arbor 6" carried by the case, is provided with a knife edge bearing 7* which rests on the bearing 5 and has a bearing 7 on which rests the knife edge 6*. An arm 8 is fixed at one end to the shaft 7 and is provided at its ,other end with a circular segment or are 8 having its center in the axis of the arms oscillation.

A journaled shaft 9 (supported by the bearings 10, 11, and 12) has fixed thereon a sheave 13 over which passes a flexible tension member 14 to a fixed connection with the periphery of the segment 8*, so that the movementof the arm 8 between its limits will not deflect the tension member, the arm being coun'tenbalan'ced by a constant force or weight 15 suspended from the .iperiphery of the sheave by a flexible tension member 16.

A cam 17 is fixed on the shaft 9 and a constant force or weight 18 is suspended from the periphery of the camby a flexible tension member 19, so that when the flow in the conduit 1 is near the minimum and the pressures communicated to the chambers 4 and 4 differ, but slightly, the cam will occupy the position shown in Fig. 4, when the weight 18 has its shortest or approxi. mately its shortest leverage. As the flow in the. conduit rises, with a corresponding depression of the diaphragm 4, thelatter acts through the part 6- upon the lever 8 which acts through thevparts 14, 13. and 9 to turn the cam 17 and thereby increase the lever arm of the weight 18 in approximate proportion to changes. in the head or pressure, the forces transmitted through the member 14 between the diaphragm 4 and the shaft 9 having substantially constant leverages. I 1

While the radii of the cam 17 increase in the desired ratio for providing the weight 18 with the necessary leverages for eflecting the desired movement of the shaft 9 proportionatelyto changes in thevelocity of flow, such leverages cannot be utilized in the desired manner with a suspended wei ht throughout the movement of the cam eon the shaft 9 and provided with the respective weights 22 and 23, the weights being suspended from the peripheries of the respective cams by the flexible tension members 24 and 25.

It will be understood that my invention is not dependent upon the character of the conduit or passage through which the fluid flows, since the mechanism can be adjusted in accordance with the equation involved in the problem. 1

As illustrated in Fig. 6, the case 4 has its chamber 4' connected by a duct 2 with a conduit or dam L which discharges through a weir 1.0f \l-form, while the chamber P is open to the atmosphere.

It will be understood that in the flow through the conduit 1, the head which induces the flow varies as the square of the rate of flow and that the rate of flow varies directly as the angle of movement of the shaft 9, the sheave l3, and the cams 17, 20, and 21 fixed on the shaft, wherefore the head varies directly as the square of the angular movement of the'shaft.

In the triangular notch weir, the head varies directly as the 2/5th power of the rate of flow, and the rate of flow varies directly as the angular motion of the shaft and the parts fixed thereon.

Now the head multiplied by its constant leverage is equal to the product of a constant weight and variable leverages provided by the several cams and suspended weights. Hence by substituting for the head its equivalent, we have for the Venturi tube or Pitot tube constructions a variable cam leverage which is equal to a constant multiplied by the square of the angular movement of the shaft carrying the cam; and for the triangular notch weir a variable cam leverage which is equal to a constant multiplied by the two-fifth power of the angular motion of the cam.

The movement of the shaft 9 is indicated by a hand 26 fixed thereon and movable thereby over a graduated dial 2?. This movement is also indicated and a record made by a marker 28 which is movable radially with reference tothe graduated sheet 29 on a disk 30 turned at a constant rate by clock work 31, the marker being connected to a rod 32 suspended by a flexible tension member 313 which passes over a sheave 34: fixed on the shaft 9, The amount of flow is indicated in a known manner by the registering mechanism 35 which is carried by the rod 32 and operated by the constantly rotating disk 36 with reference to which the register moves radially.

The foregoing mechanism will be under stood to effect the indication of variable presures through their operation of means comprising a revoluble element to which counterbalancing force is applied, at points varying in distance from the axis of revolutionand in angular relation to a datum line, with changes in the pressures, such that the desired exponential function of the pressures is indicated.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a meter, the combination of a liquid conduit, means movable by Variations of headof liquid in said conduit, and a Weight controlled oscillatory cam operated by said means and adapted for producing a variable resistance which eflects its movement proportionately to changes of the flow of said liquid.

2. In a meter the combination of a fluid conduit, with an indicating device, and means for efiecting the movement of said device to distances proportional to the flow of fluid in said conduit, said means comprising a revoluble shaft, a weight controlled cam fixed on said shaft whereby changing resistance is opposed to the revolution thereof as the velocity of flow changes and weighted compensating cam mechanism for regulating said revolution.

3. In mechanism for effecting the indication of variable pressures, means comprising a revoluble element adapted to be turned by varying pressures and means for applying counter-balancing forces to said element at points distant from its axis of revolution and in angular relation to a datum line varying'with changes in said pressures, such that the turning movement of said element is an exponential function of said pressures.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name this 3rd day'of February, 1916. y JQHN W. LEDOUX.

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